Perfect
by schmorygilmore
Summary: LL.JavaJunkie all the way. Lorelai and Luke get together in a different way, and sooner. Sort of AU. RR please.


PERFECT

It was Saturday afternoon in early Spring. Lorelai and Rory walked into Luke's Diner and sat down at a table. Luke walked over to them. Lorelai started to say something, but he interrupted.

"Wait! Let me guess! Coffee?" Luke asked.

"Actually, psychic boy, we came today for tea. Peppermint tea please." replied Lorelai.

"What!" said Luke.

"No, I'm kidding. Get us coffee, quick!" Lorelai smiled.

"And a blueberry muffin please," added Rory.

Luke brought back the coffee and muffin. As he placed their check on the table, Lorelai glanced around the busy diner, then looked up at Luke.

"So, Rachel's not working today?" she asked.

"No, uh, actually, she went back to Chicago last night."

"Oh really? Sorry to hear that."

"No, it's okay. Actually, I broke up with her."

"Oh." Lorelai wanted more details, but was afraid to ask any more questions. Luke looked at Lorelai for a couple of seconds, and then went back behind the counter.

"Wow, did you see the way he was staring at you?" Rory asked.

"What? You're crazy!" Lorelai exclaimed.

"Mom, come on. You know he likes you."

"Yes, he does like me. That's because we're friends and friends usually like each other. Otherwise they wouldn't be friends, they'd be enemies."

"Friends don't usually stare at each other like that," Rory pointed out.

"Sure they do. I stare at Sookie like that all the time."

"Fine. Forget it. I give up."

"Thank you."

Lorelai and Rory finished their coffee and muffin, then paid their bill. They decided to walk around town for awhile before heading home. "Oh, I forgot to tell you." Rory said. "I won't be home tonight. Me and Lane are going to a movie, then we're going back to her house for dinner."

"What?" Lorelai asked. "Mrs. Kim only serves tofu and wheat sprout. You'll starve."

"Yeah, well that's why we're stopping at the market after the movie and buying some real food to eat in Lane's bedroom after dinner."

"Oh, good plan." said Lorelai.

"Thanks." Rory smiled.

As they walked around the town, stopping in some stores along the way, Lorelai couldn't help thinking about Luke.

He does seem to like me more than a friend,' she said to herself.

Do I have feelings for him? . . . Yes, I think I do. But he just broke up. He's probably not ready for a relationship. And I just broke up with Max a few weeks ago, I don't think I'm ready for a relationship either. Am I? Maybe. . . .

"Mom!" Lorelai was startled back into reality. Rory asked. "Are you listening to me?"

"Yes I heard you!" Lorelai said. "You want to buy a cookie jar shaped like Scooby Doo."

"What?" Rory asked. "I said I want to borrow your purple sweater tonight."

"Oh, sure, no problem."

"What's wrong with you? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Are you ready to go home?"

"Yup."

As Lorelai and Rory started walking towards their house, they ran into Lane.

"Hey guys." Lane said. "I have to go to the health food store. Wanna come?"

"Sorry." Rory said. "We have to go home and clean out the fridge. It's my turn."

Lorelai added, "And I'm gonna sit at the table and watch her and be no help at all, just like she does when it's my turn."

"Okay. Have fun." Lane said. "Oh, yeah, Rory, my mom said you can sleep over tonight if you want to."

"Really? Okay. Sounds good."

"Okay, see you tonight!"

Lorelai and Rory said goodbye to Lane, and then continued walking home.

Later that day at the Gilmore house, Rory was cleaning out the fridge while Lorelai sat at the table eating an apple. Rory reached into the back of the fridge, pulled out an old container, and opened it up.

"Whoa! Mom, how old is this Cool Whip?"

"I don't know, why?"

"Well, there are green globs all over it that appear to be growing fur."

"Then throw it away!"

"I will. I'm just wondering when we bought it."

Lorelai thought for a moment, then smiled. "I know! I think it was for when we were gonna have that Cool Whip-filled balloon fight a few months ago, but then we decided to use canned whipped cream instead because it was easier to fill up the balloons. Remember?"

Rory laughed and said, "Oh yeah. That was so fun!"

Lorelai replied, "Yeah. A little messy though."

"Yeah." Rory tossed the cool whip into the garbage. "Oh, hey what time is it?"

Lorelai checked her watch and said, "It's 5 o'clock."

"Oh, I have to meet Lane soon. I'll finish this tomorrow."

"Okay." Rory went into to her room to get ready as Lorelai sat down on the couch with a magazine.

A few hours later, Lorelai was watching TV in the living room, eating the pizza that had just arrived. She had been trying to keep herself busy all night so she wouldn't think about Luke. She had decided that since they both probably weren't ready to start anything up yet, she might as well forget about it for now. But she soon realized that it was really hard to forget Luke. She saw him every single day. How can you forget about someone you see so often? It's not easy. She decided to go for a walk around town to keep busy.

Twenty minutes later, as Lorelai stood across the street from Luke's Diner, she watched him inside starting to clean up. There were no other customers, and as always, he was wearing a flannel shirt and backwards baseball cap. She checked her watch and saw that he would close in 10 minutes. She walked inside. Luke, who was wiping the counter, looked up to see who it was.

"Hey," said Luke. "Where's Rory?"

"She's at Lane's." Lorelai said, as she hung up her coat. Lorelai walked over to the counter and sat on a stool.

"And I suppose you want some coffee?" Luke asked.

"Uh, yeah."

"Coffee can stunt your growth, you know."

"Seeing as how I'm 5'9" I don't think that could be true."

"Yeah, well maybe you're really supposed to be 6'5" but because you drink so much coffee you're only 5'9"."

"Yeah maybe," said Lorelai. "But probably not."

Luke poured Lorelai her coffee, and told her that he's closing in 5 minutes.

"Well," said Lorelai, "Maybe I can stay and talk while you clean up."

"Talk about what?" Luke asked, as he started wiping down the tables. Lorelai suddenly found herself with nothing to say. She looked around the diner, looking for something to talk about. She took a sip of coffee. "Um, did you know there's a Brady Bunch Marathon on TV tomorrow?"

Luke stopped wiping the table and looked at her. "No, I didn't know that. That's all you can think of to talk about?"

"Yeah, sorry. I'm fresh out of conversation topics."

"Wow. That's a first. I guess we could just not talk then."

"Okay. Let's not talk."

Lorelai sipped her coffee at the counter as Luke finished wiping down the tables. Lorelai occasionally turned around and glanced over at him, and caught him a few times staring back at her. After a few minutes, Luke walked around the back of the counter and said, "I'm going to go wash the dishes now. Do you wanna help?"

Lorelai smiled and said, "Sure. I love washing dishes."

Luke smiled back and said, "I know. You love painting too. You're multi-faceted abnormal."

Lorelai laughed and said, "Yes I am."

Luke and Lorelai walked into the kitchen in the back of the diner. Lorelai rolled up her sleeves, grabbed a plate and said, "I'll wash, you dry."

Luke replied, "Fine with me."

As Lorelai scrubbed the plate, Luke watched her with a smile. She turned to hand him the plate and saw him staring at her. He quickly took the plate and looked away. She turned back towards the sink, smiling to herself. She wondered,

does he feel the same way I do?'

As she handed him another plate, their hands brushed against each other. Lorelai felt an electric feeling rush through her body. She smiled. Luke took the plate and started to dry it, all the while thinking about how beautiful and perfect she looked. How her shining hair fell against her delicate face. How her light blue sweater accentuated her perfect figure. He stared at her for a few minutes, then said, "Lorelai?"

"Yeah?" she replied, turning her head to look at him.

Luke started to ask, "Do you want to . . . .Would you like to. . . ." He paused. Then said, "Never mind." He looked down and dried off the plate.

"Yes!" Lorelai said.

Luke looked up surprised and said, "Yes?"

Lorelai said, "Yes, I would love to go out with you."

Luke said, "Really? You mean it?" Lorelai smiled and nodded.

"Good. That's great. That's really great."

Lorelai replied, "Yes, it is great."

They continued to wash dishes when, a few minutes later, their hands brushed again. Luke took the plate from Lorelai and put it down on the counter. He put his hands on her waist and turned her so she was facing him. He pulled her closer and kissed her. He stepped back to see her reaction. She had a wide grin on her face, and so he stepped in to kiss her again. She eagerly kissed him back. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she wrapped her arms around his neck as they continued to kiss. He stepped back. He ran his hand through her hair and brushed it away from her face. She was smiling brightly. He said, "You have never looked so beautiful." She looked down, slightly embarrassed, and said, "Thank you." He said, "Well, it's late. Why don't I walk you home?" She said, "Okay. Great."

Luke locked up the diner, and he and Lorelai walked to her house under a perfect springtime sky, with thousands of twinkling stars providing a perfect setting to the special night. They discussed when their first official date should be, and decided for tomorrow night. As they walked up Lorelai's porch, she said, "Thanks for walking me home Luke." "You're welcome," he replied. She unlocked her door, then turned around to give Luke a kiss goodnight. Luke said, "I'll see you tomorrow." "You sure will," she replied. As she walked into the house and up the stairs to her bedroom, her smile was the biggest it could possibly be. She started thinking about their first date tomorrow, and hoped it would be as magical as she thought it would be.

SUNDAY

Lorelai woke up filled with excitement about her upcoming date with Luke. She got up, took a shower, got dressed, and went downstairs, all with a constant smile plastered on her face that she was not able to remove. Rory wasn't home from Lane's house yet, so Lorelai fixed herself some coffee and a pop tart and waited. A little while later, she heard the front door open, and heard, "Mom, I'm home!" She ran and gave Rory a hug.

"Guess what!" Lorelai said excitedly.

Rory said, "You figured out ways to increase voter turnout for the next presidential election?" Lorelai shook her head, smiling. Rory said, "You decided to finally cave in, and you bought a Ron Popeill pasta maker from the infomercial?" Lorelai shook her head again.

"I give up." Rory said.

"I have a date with Luke tonight!" she yelled.

Rory's eyes widened and she said, "You're kidding!"

Lorelai said, "No, I'm serious! I swear!"

Rory gave her a hug and said, "Mom, that's great! Wow, finally!"

Lorelai excitedly ran to the living room and dove onto the couch. "I know! I can't believe it! And guess what else! He kissed me last night!" Rory followed her to the living room and sat next to her.

"No way! Really?" Rory said. She paused. "Is that all you guys did?"

Lorelai replied, "Yes, that's all, Miss Nosy!"

Rory smiled. "So where are you going on your date?"

"I don't know. He said it would be a surprise."

"Wow, so what time is he coming?"

"He's picking me up at 6:30." Lorelai said, still lying on the couch.

Rory checked her watch. "Well, you've only got 7 hours. Shouldn't you be getting ready?"

"Oh my gosh! You're right!" Lorelai jumped off the couch and ran up the steps.

"Mom, I was just kidding!" Rory yelled, but her mom was already upstairs.

Later that evening, as Lorelai was applying the last of her makeup, Rory walked in and sat on her mom's bed.

"So are you nervous at all?" Rory asked.

"No, not really. I'm just so excited. I've liked him for so long, Rory, ya know? I never admitted it, but the feelings were always there. And I've waited for this for so long that the excitement has just built up and I'm just too happy to be nervous."

Rory smiled and said, "You do look very happy."

"I am. And plus, it's not like a regular first date where you just met someone and this is the first time you're seeing them. This is Luke. I've seen him everyday for many years. We already know so much about each other. Starting off a relationship as friends is always a plus."

Rory nodded and said, "I totally understand."

"So, it's not gonna be too weird for you right, since you see him everyday?" Lorelai asked.

"No weirder than you dating my teacher." Rory replied.

Lorelai fastened on her watch and said, "Okay, how do I look?"

Rory smiled and said, "You look great Mom. Just perfect."

Lorelai smiled and both girls walked downstairs.

Rory sat down on the living room couch to read while Lorelai fixed her hair in the hallway mirror. A few minutes later the doorbell rang. Lorelai ran to the door and opened it. There stood Luke, wearing a dark blue suit with a perfect clean-shaven face, holding a bouquet of flowers. Lorelai's mouth dropped open and her eyes widened as she stared at him.

"Wow, you look really nice," she told him. Luke handed her the flowers and said, "And you look amazing."

Lorelai smiled and said thanks. She smelled the flowers and said, "These are beautiful."

Luke asked, "So are you ready?"

Lorelai said, "Yes." She called to Rory, "We're leaving now!"

Rory walked to the front door and said, "Okay. Hey Luke."

Luke said, "Hi. Rory."

Lorelai held out the flowers to Rory and said, "Could you put these in some water for me?"

Rory took them and said, "Sure. Bye." She gave her mom a kiss goodbye. Luke and Lorelai said goodbye to Rory and walked outside to Luke's truck.

Ten minutes later, they pulled up to Chez Fleur. "Wow, this is a really nice restaurant," Lorelai said.

Luke smiled and said, "Yes, I love it here." Luke walked around and opened Lorelai's door for her, and they walked inside. The host led them to their table, where they perused the menus for a few minutes before ordering.

While waiting for their food, Luke said, "So how are you?"

Lorelai smiled and said, "Never better. How about you?"

Luke said, "Well, even though I feel a little naked without my baseball cap, I'm still feeling pretty good right now." Lorelai laughed. Luke reached over and held Lorelai's hand. Luke said, "So, you know what I'm thinking right now?"

Lorelai said, "That they should have a "Facts of Life" reunion show soon?"

Luke smiled and said, "No, but that is a good idea. But actually, I was thinking that I know this evening will be perfect just because it's with you."

Lorelai smiled and said, "Wow, you are so sweet. You know, I was thinking about you a lot last night."

"Oh really?"

"Yes. I was thinking about you, this date, our kiss."

Luke smiled. "It was a pretty good kiss, wasn't it?"

"Yes it was. The mood, the passion, the spur-of-the-moment spontaneity of it. It was perfect. It was how every couple's first kiss should be."

"I agree."

Their conversation was interrupted by the waiter bringing their orders. While they ate, they continued to talk about a variety of topics. It was obvious to the both of them that there was never going to be a quiet moment between them because they always had plenty of things to talk about.

When they were done and were standing outside of the restaurant, Luke said," So how about we take a walk?"

Lorelai said, "Sure. That would be nice." They held hands and talked as they walked toward the center of Stars Hollow. Despite the warm spring air, there were not many townsfolk out walking around, so it was kind of like they had the whole town to themselves. They ended up at the gazebo in the center of town. As they walked up the steps, Lorelai noticed a radio on the floor in the corner of the gazebo.

"Someone left their radio here," she said, pointing. Luke bent down and pushed a button.

"Actually, it's mine. I thought you might like to dance."

Lorelai smiled and said, "I would love to."

As a romantic love song started to play, Luke and Lorelai started dancing in the gazebo. Lorelai put her arms around Luke's neck and rested her head on his chest as Luke wrapped his arms around her waist. As they swayed back and forth in the moonlight, Lorelai said, "Luke, thank you for a wonderful night. I can't imagine a more perfect date."

"You're welcome. And thank you for making it perfect for me."

Lorelai looked up and smiled at him. She gave him a kiss, then rested her head back on his chest. They danced a few more songs, and then she said, "Wow, it's getting late. I have work tomorrow."

They walked back towards Luke's truck holding hands, and then Luke drove her home. He walked her up to the porch. She turned to face him and said, "Thanks Luke." He gave her a quick kiss goodnight and then started to say something, but she started kissing him again. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him for a few more seconds before finally coming stepping back. She said, "So what were you going to say?"

Luke smiled and said, "I was going to say that I'll call you tomorrow."

Lorelai said, "Okay, great." She gave him yet another kiss and said goodbye. He said goodbye and she watched him walk to his truck and drive away before going inside the house.

She finally walked in to find Rory asleep on the couch. She debated on whether to wake her up to tell her about the date, but she decided that since Rory had school the next morning, she should let her sleep. She walked upstairs and fell onto her bed with a smile from ear to ear.

MONDAY

As Lorelai was in her bedroom getting ready for work, Rory came into her room. She said, "So, how was it?"

Lorelai said, "How was what?"

Rory yelled, "Mom! Your date!"

Lorelai laughed and said, "Oh my god! It was so wonderful! It was perfect. It was better than perfect."

"Wow! Sounds like you had a good time," Rory said.

"I did." Lorelai took Rory through the whole evening while she got dressed and they ate breakfast. By the time they were ready to leave the house, Rory knew every detail of what had happened on their date. And she knew that her mother would be talking about it for a long time.

MONDAY--2 WEEKS LATER

Lorelai was lying on the couch reading a magazine when Rory came home. Rory walked into the living room smiling.

"Hey." Lorelai said. "You're late."

"Remember, I went to library after school?"

"Oh yeah. Now I remember."

"Well, guess what?"

"Um, you think that "New Kids on the Block" should organize a reunion tour?"

"Uh, no."

"You want to redecorate your room using lickable wallpaper like in Willy Wonka?"

"Um, no. How about you stop talking?"

"Sorry."

"So anyway, I got an A on my History midterm."

"Wow! That's awesome. I guess all that studying paid off. We should totally celebrate."

"Okay, how about we go to Luke's for dinner?"

"Okay!" Lorelai jumped up off the couch and ran to get her coat.

Rory laughed. "Mom, I knew you would want to go, but why are you skipping?"

"Because I'm really hungry."

"Or maybe because you want to see Luke so you can stare at each other and smile and make everyone else in the place sick."

"Yes, you're right. Now hurry! We're wasting valuable staring time!"

They walked to Luke's Diner. As they walked in Lorelai saw Luke talking to a woman sitting at the counter. Lorelai recognized her. "Oh my gosh, it's Rachel," said Rory.

Lorelai replied, "I know. What the heck is she doing here?"

Lorelai and Rory walked to a table and sat down while staring at Luke and Rachel talking. Lorelai tried to determine Luke's expression. He didn't look overly happy, and he didn't look mad or upset either. She couldn't tell. At that moment, he looked up and saw Lorelai staring at him. He excused himself to Rachel and walked over to Lorelai. "Hey," he said.

"Hey. What's Rachel doing here?" Lorelai asked.

Luke paused. "Well, Lorelai, I'm sorry, but she came to tell me that she wants me back, and so I've decided to move to Chicago with her." Lorelai and Rory's mouths both dropped open and their eyes widened. They were speechless. Luke laughed and said, "I'm kidding! She left some things here and came to pick them up before she leaves for Germany!"

Lorelai said, "Oh My Gosh. Don't ever do that to me again!" She playfully slapped Luke on his arm. He said, "I'm sorry." He bent down and gave her a kiss. "But the look of jealousy on your face was too much to resist."

Rory said, "We'll have burgers and fries please."

Luke said, "Will I ever be able to break you guys off your red meat habit?"

Both girls said, "Nope." Luke shrugged and said, "I'll be right back." Luke walked back toward the counter as Rachel was getting up off her stool. Luke gave her a hug goodbye and went into the kitchen. Rachel walked past Rory and Lorelai and smiled.

"Have a good trip, " Lorelai said.

"Thanks. Bye!" said Rachel. Rachel walked out the door.

Rory said, "Wow, you should've seen the look on your face when Luke said he was moving." Rory laughed.

"Yeah, that was the worst feeling I've had in a long time."

"Well, that just goes to show how much you really like him."

"Yeah, I guess you're right about that." She gazed toward the kitchen door smiling. Luke walked through with two plates and brought them to the table. "Here you go, enjoy." They both said thank you and began eating.

Luke walked back behind the counter. He watched the girls eat. He had known that being in a relationship with Lorelai would make him happy, but he never realized he would be this happy. He realized how much time he had wasted all those years when he was too afraid to ask her out. He smiled to himself while he watched her, and wondered if she was as happy as he was. She looked up and saw him staring at her. They smiled at each other and she continued eating. A few minutes later, Rory and Lorelai finished and stood up. Rory went outside while Lorelai walked over to Luke at the counter.

"We're gonna get going now." Lorelai handed Luke some money for the food, but he didn't take it.

"Don't worry about it," he said.

"Luke, no, I've told you this before, I'm not dating you to get free food. Plus, I come here every day; if you don't make me pay, you'll go bankrupt."

Luke smiled and said, "Yeah, you're right." He took the money.

She smiled and said, "I know. I'm always right. You'll get used to it."

They kissed goodbye, and Luke said, "I'll call you later."

"Okay, bye."

He watched her walk out of the diner and sighed, wondering if life could get any better.

END PART 1

SIX MONTHS LATER

At the Gilmore house, Lorelai was getting ready for her six- month anniversary dinner with Luke while Rory helped her pick out an outfit. Lorelai held up a black v-neck sweater and said, "How about this?"

Rory shook her head and said, "Nah. How about this?" She held up a light blue sweater with a matching skirt.

"Wow, yeah." Lorelai said, "And that will go perfect with the new purse I bought." She took the outfit from Rory and started changing.

"So six months, huh?" said Rory.

"Yeah," Lorelai said, "I can't believe it. This is the longest relationship I've been in in a long time."

"Yeah, I know. So where are you going?"

"We're going to Chez Fleur because that's where we had our first date." She smiled.

"Aww, how romantic."

"I know! I've never felt like this about someone, ya know? I mean, just looking at him makes me feel so happy. And he makes me feel so special. I love him so much."

"I know, Mom, you tell me everyday."

"I know, I know. Sorry."

"So you know what I was thinking?"

"That even though Dick Clark is almost like a hundred years old, you can't figure out why he only looks 35?"

Rory said, "Um, no. I was thinking that maybe I could invite Lane to sleep over tonight. Is that okay?"

Lorelai said, "Oh, absolutely. It'll be good for you to have company since I probably won't be home until late anyway. . . .." She paused and smiled, thinking about Luke.

"Okay, stop please," Rory said.

"Sorry, anyway, sure call Lane. I'll leave you pizza money."

"Great, thanks." Rory walked downstairs to call Lane while Lorelai applied the finishing touches to her makeup and her hair. She smoothed her sweater and stood back to look in the mirror. She gave herself a nod of approval and walked downstairs. She took some money out of her purse and gave it to Rory, who was still on the phone with Lane. "Thanks mom," she said, and then continued talking to Lane.

Lorelai grabbed her coat and checked her watch. 6:58. Luke would be here any minute. She grabbed the gift bag by the door containing the anniversary gift she had gotten Luke, a watch that was engraved on the back with "I love you. Love, Lorelai." The doorbell rang. She smiled and answered the door, greeting Luke with a big hug and kiss. She stepped back to look at him.

"Happy anniversary," he said, kissing her.

"Happy anniversary," she said, kissing him back. They both smiled.

"So, are you ready," he asked.

"Yes." She called, "Bye Rory!" Rory called back, "Bye! Have fun!" They went out the door and walked to Luke's truck.

As they rode to Chez Fleur, Luke said,

So, what did you do today?"

"Well," she replied, "Rory and I woke up and saw that we only had ketchup, mayonnaise, and pickles in the fridge, so we decided to go shopping. We went to the market, and instead of buying any normal food that could ever be considered a meal, we bought chips, cookies, candy and soda. We came home to watch a movie, and proceeded to consume all of the food we had bought. So, then, since we were back to the ketchup, mayonnaise, and pickles, we had to go back to the store, where we bought some more junk food, but also some real food in case we actually wanted to eat something that's not 100 percent sugar."

Luke laughed and said, "Sounds fun."

Lorelai said, "Oh, it was."

A few minutes later they pulled up to the restaurant. Luke opened the door for Lorelai and they walked in holding hands. They were led to their table, where they ordered champagne to celebrate. They talked, they ordered, they talked some more, they ate, they laughed. Everything was perfect. After they finished their cheesecake dessert, they left and Luke drove them back to his diner. Instead of going inside, they walked around town talking and laughing.

"Do you remember the first time you came to Friday Night Dinner at my parents house and gave my parents a heart attack?"

Luke laughed and said, "Oh yeah. That was a fun night."

"I can't believe you told them that we played strip poker!" Lorelai said, laughing.

"Well, your mom wanted to know what we did the night before! I don't know why I said that, I just wasn't thinking. I should've lied. Good thing Rory was sick that night, or else she would've heard about it too."

"Oh, don't worry. She knows."

"You're kidding! You told her?" Luke asked, smiling.

"Sorry, I had to describe the look of shock on my mom's face to her. It was too good a moment not to tell her." She laughed, thinking about it. "It's a wonder that my parents still like you."

Luke smiled and gave her a kiss.

They decided to sit down for awhile. Luke sat down on a bench. Lorelai snuggled up against him and they both stared up at the sky. They gazed at the stars and talked some more. After awhile she said, "Oh hey. Your anniversary present! I left it in the truck."

He said, "Oh, I left yours at my place. Why don't we head back there for some coffee?" Lorelai said okay and stood up.

They walked back to Luke's truck where she reached in and grabbed his present, and then they walked to Luke's place. Lorelai put the present and her coat down and excused herself to the bathroom. A few minutes later when she came out, she found that Luke had dimmed the lights and lit lots of candles. "Wow, this is beautiful," she said. Luke just smiled.

She walked over and grabbed his present and they sat down at the kitchen table. She gave him his present first, which he loved. She showed him the engraving and he smiled and said, "I love you too. This is really great. I love it." He gave her a kiss. Then he gave her her present.

She unwrapped it slowly, and found that it was a tin of fresh coffee beans. She was a little surprised but said, "Uh, Wow. This is really nice." Luke smiled and said, "Open it." She removed the lid off the tin and looked inside.

Her mouth dropped open and she stared quietly for a few seconds before pulling out a small jewelry box. Luke took it from her gently and opened it up. A stunning ring was nestled inside. It had a large diamond in the center surrounded by 3 smaller diamonds on each side. Tears welded up in Lorelai's eyes. Luke got up off his chair and got down on one knee. He held the ring in one hand and held her hand with the other.

"Lorelai," he started. "The past six months have been the best time of my life. You are everything that I live for and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I will dedicate my life to you and Rory and be the best man that I can be. I love you more than anything in the world and I always will. Will you marry me?"

Lorelai put her hand over her mouth as the tears streamed down her face. But she wasted no time. She nodded and said, "Yes!" He smiled and placed the ring on her finger. They both stood up and they hugged. He put a hand on each side of her face and wiped her tears with his thumbs. He gave her a kiss. She held out her hand and stared at the ring. "Wow," she said, "This is the most beautiful ring I've ever seen."

He smiled and said, "I'm glad you like it." He gave her a hug. She rested her head on his chest and never wanted to let go of him.

Suddenly she said, "Oh, what time is it?"

Luke looked at the clock on the microwave and said, "It's almost 10. Why?"

She smiled and said, "I have to tell Rory!"

He smiled back and said, "Okay. I'll go get us some champagne to celebrate."

She said, "Okay." She walked over to his couch and picked up the phone. She dialed her number and Rory answered on the second ring.

"Hello?" Rory said.

"Rory. It's me."

"Mom, hi, is everything all right?"

"Yes, everything is perfect. Guess what?"

"What?"

"Luke asked me to marry him!" she yelled excitedly.

"OH MY GOD! Mom, that's fantastic! You said yes, right?"

"Of course I said yes!" she laughed.

"Oh my god! I can't believe it! Congratulations!"

"Thank you!" Lorelai heard Rory yell in the background, "Lane, my mom and Luke are engaged!" Lane screamed and said, "Oh my god!"

Lorelai smiled. "Rory, I probably won't be home for a few hours, okay? Are you guys okay?"

"Yeah, we're fine Mom. Take all the time you want. Stay the night."

"Really? You sure you'll be all right?"

"Yup, I'm sure. I'll call you if we need anything."

"Okay, I love you."

"I love you too. Bye!"

"Bye!"

Lorelai hung up the phone as Luke walked over with a bottle of champagne and two glasses. "So, what did Rory say?" he asked.

Lorelai smiled and said, "She's totally excited."

Luke smiled and said, "Good. I'm glad."

"She also told me I could stay the night," Lorelai said flirtingly.

Luke laughed and said, "Well, wasn't that nice of her!"

Lorelai said, "Yes, she's such a good mom."

Lorelai stood up as Luke poured them each some champagne. He held up his glass. "To you," he toasted. "The most perfect woman in the world, who tonight, has made me the happiest man alive."

They tapped their glasses and Lorelai said, "And to you, who has made my life perfect in every way possible." They both smiled and tapped their glasses again. They each took a sip of champagne and then started to kiss in the flickering candlelight.

END


End file.
